The Last Martian
by Stark Bane
Summary: The beginning story of a young boy who uncovers a secret that could change the known universe.


_The Last Martian_

Troy had only moments to hide before he was caught.

Racing across the empty field and lunging up the hillside, he searched in vain for a rock big enough to use as cover. The clock was running out and soon it would all be over. He slid down the opposite side of the hill and came to a crevice with a small depression. He dropped down, pressing his back to the rock and standing flat, against the cold red rock.

At first he heard the footsteps. They crunched and compacted the hard Martian surface with each step. The pace was a quick one and if he was lucky his pursuer would give the area a cursory glance.

He wasn't lucky.

"I got you," yelled a menacing voice matched with a firm handhold from above. The face of Troy's assailant was masked by the sun shining above. The hulking figure loomed in closer, facial features revealing themselves. Teeth shown in an evil grimace as lips separated further apart. Troy was doomed.

"You're it," the figure roared.

Troy wrestled his arm free from his older brother. "It's no fair Shane, you always pick on me."

Shane already had his back turned as he labored up the hill. "When you stop making it so easy to find you, I won't," he said between exasperated gasps. He reached the top of the hill and pointed down. "Just count from there and don't cheat." With that he raced down the other side and out of Troy's view.

Troy crossed his arms in anger and faced the depression in the crevice. It was one thing to pick on him, but he hated that his brother could imply he was dishonest. Grandfather had always told Troy that Shane picked on him in that way because he knew he could push the right buttons. Grandfather also suggested that Shane was just remembering how he acted at the age of thirteen and assumed Troy was as self-serving as himself.

As Troy counted through the he began staring at the rocks before him. They were like every other rock on the planet, rough with a hint of rust. Something was different about the rocks before him. He leaned from side to side studying the rocks at different angles seeing if something else could shed light. His shadow moved in accordance and as direct sunlight hit the rocks, something glinted back. Troy had heard stories of rare relics left over from the civil war that had doomed the first colonists of Mars almost two-hundred years before.

Plentiful tales had been told about lost treasures and technology that had been stored away while the planets inhabitants fought over the right to rule. In the end, it had been their unquenchable greed that ultimately doomed them.

From most accounts, all the treasure and technology had been scooped up when the Earth Alliance Military had finally un-quarantined Mars and began trying to terraform the planet once more. Whatever the military missed was picked up by prospectors who later became the first colonists back on the planet. The government assured people that they were coming to Mars to build new lives, not chase far-fetched fantasies.

None of that mattered to Troy as he worms his fingers between the rocks trying to clear space to reach whatever it was he had found. The object seemed just out of his reach. He couldn't get to it.

"Shane," he screamed out as loud as he could. "I need your help!"

At first nothing happened, but as Troy continued to cry out for his brother a familiar figure rose from the top of the hill.

"What's wrong with you," Shane asked. "You didn't even come searching for us."

"I found something," exclaimed Troy. "I need your help."

Shane shrugged his shoulders and began starting down the hill. He stopped after only a few feet. "Wait, how do I know this isn't a trap so that I'm it again?"

Troy threw his hands up in the air. "It's not a trap! I think I found treasure!"

"Treasure," asked Shane. He leaped down the rest of the dune and was at Troy's side within a heartbeat.

Troy pointed his finger at the crack in the wall. "There's something shining in there."

Shane wedged his hands between the two rocks and tried in the same useless attempt to reach the object. Not giving up, he grabbed his Martian Utility Tool. "MUT, crowbar," he said into the device. Instantly a rod iron crowbar materialized at the end of Shane's tool. He jabbed it between the gap and began prying back and forth.

Troy stared in jealous awe as Shane used his tool. Because of the dangers of all the options that a MUT could generate, the government had a strict law in place regarding the minimum age one could operate one. Troy still had three more years to go.

Shane continued to grapple with the rock face. Putting one foot up as leverage, he heaved with his entire might. The rock crumbled apart and Shane flew back landing on his younger brother. He picked himself and dusted himself off.

Troy coughed in the red Martian dust preparing to yell at his older brother when he looked past him. The shiny object he had seen had been a steal door. It was circular in nature with a crank wheel positioned to the side. The door reminded Troy of the kind of pressure doors that he had seen on the colony ship as they moved from bulkhead to bulkhead, or like the ones used at the large credit depositories. Whatever was on the inside wasn't meant to be affected by the outside.

Shane was in front of it his ear pressed flat against the door. "Our treasure," he finally said after a long pause. "It's in there."

Troy stood up and walked to the door's edge. He traced his fingers along its surface feeling all the pits and imperfections along the way. He turned to his brother and nodded at the handle. "You go first."

"No way," Shane retorted. He grabbed his brother by the color and shoved him in front of the door.

Troy wiggled out of his older brother's grip and stared at the door handle. His imagination filled with all kinds of questions as to what could be behind that door. He set aside the darker nightmares and focused on the idea that it was treasure. He grabbed the handle tightly and pulled with all his might. His knuckles went white and his body trembled, but it wasn't enough.

"I need your help."

Shane approached the door nervously and put his hands on the remaining hand holds between his brother's grip. Together, they surged with power until the handle began to turn. It was only a few centimeters at first, but after several tough minutes of labor the handle revolved freely and the door began to open wide. Once the door was open wide enough to squeeze in, Shane and Troy stepped back.

Troy looked at his older brother. "You go first," he said again as he had before.

Again his big brother's courage failed him. "No way pipsqueak, you said this is your treasure. You have to go first."

Troy was ready this time around. "There's no light in there and I can't use a MUT. That means you have to lead the way."

Shane cursed and spat on the ground. It was the first time a rule probably hadn't worked in his favor. "Fine," he said. "But that means the treasure is mine. MUT, light." Troy thought about arguing this as the crowbar vanished and a wide spectrum of light began to emanate from Shane's tool. They could argue over who found what later.

The two began to inch their way slowly into the tunnel, only ever moving a few paces at a time. The air was stale and dust covered everything. Troy noticed that it wasn't Martian dust. Whatever had been going on in here hadn't happened in a long time and it didn't involve the surface.

Shane continued to pivot the light checking every nook and cranny. He was more paranoid than his brother. After going down a small flight of stairs they came to small chamber. The bright light engulfed the room showing a variety of objects laying around. Shane and Troy ran to them, playing and tinkering.

"We're going to be rich," Shane said as he toyed with an antiquated laser pistol.

Troy smiled back, but his attention was caught by a small cube. At first glance it looked like it might have been made of ruby, but it was clearly something more elaborate. He began to study it when both Shane and Troy heard a sound.

"Hello," echoed a voice.

Troy and Shane turned at each other. "It's got to be Paul, we were in the middle of a game of hide and seek," Shane said. "Let's get out of here before Paul see's all the loot."

Troy raced to follow Shane outside putting the cube in his pocket. Whatever it was, he would get to study it later.

Outside the tunnel, Paul stood fuming.

"I want to go in," he said tapping his foot impatiently. "What's in there?"

"Nothing important," Shane said. "Just an old service tunnel for a sewage system that the old colonists must have used. It smells bad."

Troy looked in bewilderment at his older brother until a sharp elbow to the torso convinced him to shake his head, nodding in agreement.

Before Paul could argue back, all three boys' communicators chirped. It was dinner time, and the boys would have hell to pay if they were late.

"Fine then, tomorrow," Paul said and ran off to his house.

The boys ran off in their own direction, but kept a careful eye to make sure Paul didn't backtrack. They opened the door to their house and went to wash their hands.

"What do we say," Troy finally asked.

"We say nothing until we know something."

As the boys got to the table, their younger sister Lucy was already sitting and waiting.

"Where did you guys hide," she asked. "I couldn't find you anywhere."

Troy went on to explain where they had "hid," careful to not give too much detail. After dinner, Shane tended to some chores while Troy went up to his room. He fished out the ruby cube. Sitting on his bed, he studied the cube. He noticed a small depression that seemed like a button. At first he was afraid to touch it, but after a while curiosity got the best of him and he pushed the button. Nothing happened.

Disappointed and bored for the moment, Troy put the cube on his dresser and went to change into his sleepwear. It was just as he had struggled to put a shirt over his head that the cube began to glow with great intensity until it finally surged out brightening his own room and knocking Troy back until he tripped from his own encumbrance.

After pulling the shirt down Troy rose back up only to be greeted by the most curious face he had ever seen. It was digital in nature and lacked any gender defining features. Its details while not uncommon, felt completely alien.

"Hello," Troy said sheepishly.

"Hello," the face repeated mimicking in the same tone.

Another awkward pause passed before Troy finally cleared his throat. "What are you?"

"I am an advanced personal matrix storage device," the digital face said coolly.

"What is that, like a hard drive," Troy asked.

"I utilize a hard drive, yes. That stores my vast database and I am it's facilitator."

Troy thought for a moment trying to summarize what he was being told. Clearly the being was an artificial intelligence of sorts, but it was nothing like the ones he had encountered before.

"Basically, you're a digital librarian."

The digital face for the first time paused and its head shifted several degrees. "You could use that analogy, yes."

"Where did you come from," Troy asked eagerly.

"I was manufactured in Remus and purchased by Lt. Commander Brackas for personal use. From that point I was appropriated by you."

Troy was confused. "Remus? Brackas? That doesn't make sense to me. Can you give me more detail," he asked.

The face distorted for a second before restoring its composure. "I'm sorry, but all access to that information is restricted based on Security Protocol Measure A. At no given time may I discuss former owner's personal information."

Troy frowned. If he was going to find out answers from a computer, he had to ask the right questions like a computer.

"Who built you?"

"Martian Intelligence Industries. I was activated on the 19th of July, 2534. My unit number is-"

"2534," interrupted Troy. "That's over 200 years ago! You're technology from the original colony of Mars?"

"Yes."

Troy could hardly contain his excitement. He had found working Martian technology. He couldn't even imagine the amount of credits he would get for such a find. More importantly the moment, were the things he could learn. Thoughts of the existence of other treasure sites filled his mind.

The AI took note of Troy's emotional state. "You're heart rate is rather elevated," it said. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing is wrong," Troy replied. He grabbed the cube and carried it to the bed, laying prone before it and kicking his legs back and forth. "It's just really cool to find working technology from the civil war."

"What is this civil war you mention," the AI asked.

It was Troy's turn to tilt his head in confusion. "It's the time when the colonists of Mars forsake the rest of humanity and then turned inward to fight themselves resulting in a genocide that ruined the environment and purged the planet of all life."

"There was never a civil war," the AI corrected him.

"Well then what happened," Troy asked.

The AI told him.

When the AI finished its story, Troy felt cold. There had never been a civil war. The Martian people had never forsaken the rest of humanity. They had never destroyed their own planet.

It had all been a plan from the Earth Alliance government. It was the EA who had placed a total black out blockade with Mars after refusing to open up more trade sanctions in exchange for the planet's advancing technology. It had been the EA who spent ten years developing a bio-chemical weapon so deadly that it purged the planet of all it's organisms before starving itself. And it was the EA who had gone in after ravaging the surface and stealing all important components to make the planet look appear to be a war-torn savage remnant of a golden age.

Millions were dead and centuries of progress had been halted all because of the greed of office bureaucrats.

The AI went on to list many great accomplishments the Martian people had produced as a civilization. Most of the things listed were technologies produced by the EA to keep other planets in line, always dependent on their support.

It made Troy sick.

The AI noticed this and asked if it would be better to stop.

"No," Troy said assuring the AI. "Thank you though. Say, do you have a name? Mine is Troy."

"I've never possessed a name," the AI replied. "I've usually been addressed by my model number, DXC-1153."

"That won't do," Troy said as he pondered his options and lifted the cube in his hand. "I could call you Dixie, but that doesn't seem to suit you." He stared at the cube in detail. "I know, how about Rucu? Does that work for you?"

The AI's colors surged brighter for a moment. "If that is what you wish."

Before Troy could respond a large vibration rocked the house. Loud noises rushed towards his room as Shane forced the door open.

"What's going on," cried Troy.

Shane was still in full motion grabbing Troy and heading for the window. "A group of men are breaking into the house. I think Paul told someone that we found the treasure. They might be pirates."

Shane was opening the window as he heard the screams of his mother downstairs. Blaster fire erupted and then everything fell quiet. The two boys climbed out onto the slanted roof and quietly walked towards the back of the house. Down below a man clad it black fatigues stood below the roof's edge guarding the rear door in case of escape.

"Those are EA police Shane," Troy said with a nervous tremble. "What are they doing?

"I don't know," Shane said steadying Troy against the back wall. More noises kept them silent and crouched as someone was dragged out to the backyard. It was their father. He was thrown down on to the ground repeatedly kicked in the ribs before being raised by his shackles onto his knees.

One of the men dressed in black approached him. "We know your sons had direct contact with the site. Where are they?"

The beaten prisoner took in a deep breath and raised himself as tall as he could. "I don't know where they are," he said taking a moment to catch another breath. "They didn't come home for dinner and wherever they are, I hope you never catch them. Your government's tyrannical rule was the very reason people came to Mars to escape in the first place." He spat on the man.

The officer cocked his rifle and leveled it at the man's face. "It looks like those who don't know the history of Mars are doomed to repeat it," he said and pulled the trigger.

Troy stared in disbelief at the sagging corpse of his father as Shane sprang up. He sprinted off the edge of the roof. "MUT," he screamed. "Hand Axe!" The axe materialized just in time to cleave their father's murderer's skull in two. The soldier crumpled to the floor as Shane pulled the tool free and swung at the second guard. The guard brought his weapon to bear. The axe bit deeply into the man's neck just as the rifle belched fire, the round impacting squarely into Shane's chest.

"Shane," Troy cried. He jumped down and landed at Shane's side.

"Sorry little brother," Shane said. "It looks like I can't help you anymore." A commotion approached them. Shane grabbed Troy's hand and placed his tool into his hand. "I love you Troy. Run!"

Troy saw figures racing through the house. He looked one last time at his brother, the life having already left him. He clutched the tool and ran, never looking back.

Troy sat crying in the restroom of a park miles away from his house.

Rucu sat illuminated above the toilet. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Troy looked up wiping the tears away from his face. "What am I supposed to do know?"

"I can't tell you what you are supposed to do as it's not part of my function," Rucu said. "Your family died protecting you."

Troy burst into another fit of tears. "They died because we found that chamber." A moment of clarity washed over him. "They died protecting you, not me." He stood up, his sorrow being replaced with anger and frustration. "It's all part of the cover up. They didn't want any information of the truth leaked out."

Rucu hovered with the same impassive stare. "So what do you intend to do?"

"I intend," Troy said with clenched fists and choked back tears, "to stop them and tell the truth."


End file.
